Budgets/Spending/Market Size

Deerfield, Ill. -- Walgreen Co. said Wednesday that its sales increased 5.4% in September, to $5.95 billion from $5.65 billion in the year-ago period.

Pharmacy revenue rose 4.6%, while front end sales were up 5.1%.

Same-store sales rose 3.1%. Wall Street analysts were expecting growth of 4.6%.
 

New York — More than four million tablets will be used in retail by 2015, according to IHL Group. The group’s new report, “Mobility: A Gutenberg Moment for Retail, A Threat to POS,” has forecasts for rugged handhelds, consumer handhelds (i.e., iPhones, iPod Touch), and tablet computers to be used at store level from now until 2015 in North America.

Some of the key highlights include:

Boston -- Survey results released Tuesday by Shop.org showed that almost half of all retailers plan to offer eGifting this holiday season and 44% are looking at location-based deals as a key element of their mobile marketing strategies. 

The survey, sponsored by CashStar and conducted in September at the annual Shop.org Retail Summit in Boston, found a growing concern among retailers about the lack of personalization of gift cards. 

LOS ANGELES — The state of the economy continues to impact consumers' holiday shopping decisions as many plan to spend less or the same this year.

Westborough, N.H. -- Private equity firms Leonard Green & Partners and CVC Capital Partners on Friday completed their $2.8 billion acquisition of BJ's Wholesale Club. The move, which takes the chain private, sets the stage for a stock delisting, effective Monday before the markets open.

The deal was announced in late June after months of speculation. BJ’s shareholders approved the buyout on Sept. 9. The chain currently operates 190 warehouse clubs in 15 states.
 

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Friday by the Commerce Dept. showed that consumer spending in the U.S. slowed in August, impacted by falling incomes and sporadic hiring.

Commerce Dept. figures showed that purchases edged up 0.2% after a 0.7% increase in July. However, a 0.2% increase in prices wiped out the slight spending gain. Incomes dipped 0.1%, the first decline since October 2009.

Washington, D.C. -- A report released Friday by the Commerce Dept. showed that consumer spending in the U.S. slowed in August, impacted by falling incomes and sporadic hiring.

Commerce Dept. figures showed that purchases edged up 0.2% after a 0.7% increase in July. However, a 0.2% increase in prices wiped out the slight spending gain. Incomes dipped 0.1%, the first decline since October 2009.

New York City -- A report released Thursday by Bloomberg said that consumer confidence in the United States slumped last week to the second-lowest level on record.

The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index dropped to minus 53 in the period ended Sept. 25 from minus 52.1 the prior week. Similar readings were reached three times in the first half of 2009 and surpassed only by all-time lows of minus 54 plumbed in November 2008 and again in January 2009.